Smells play an important role in horticulture therapy by stimulating the brain and boosting positive emotions and memories. The document describes a 4-month horticulture therapy program conducted with orphanage children and corporate employees that involved activities like herbal bouquet making, flower arrangements, and sensory games. Assessments showed the programs improved self-esteem in children and reduced stress, anxiety, and workplace stress in corporate participants, demonstrating the emotional benefits of incorporating smells and plants into horticulture therapy.

1. SMELLAS AN EMOTIONAL STIMULANT IN HORTICULTURE
THERAPY
Karthikeyan V
Horticultural Therapist

2. • Improving quality of life through
People-Plant interaction
• Therapeutic, social and vocational
benefits
• Smell is a very powerful sense while
comparing with our other senses
Horticulture Therapy

3.  Smells and colors can bring back old memories and boost your positive thoughts.
 Specific smell receptors will stimulate specific areas of brain.
Smell Emotions

4. ArtyPlantz
 From last two and half years we are dealing with different kinds of people
 From our sessions we understood that smell can make remarkable effect in human
emotional system and have much importance in horticulture therapy
Horticulture Therapy

5. “The best place to seek God is in a
garden. You can dig for him there”.
George Bernard Shaw

6. Methodology
• Four month Horticulture Therapy Program
in Angel’s Orphanage, Shivajinagar,
Bangalore
• Four month Horticulture Therapy session
with Green Connect program for the
corporate people
• Herbal bouquet making, fresh and dry
flower arrangements, potpourri making,
jewelry making, sensory stimulating games
were some of the activities we used .
Orphanage Corporate
Male 17 11
Female 10 10
Total 27 21

7. Horticulture Therapy Program in orphanage
• Our aim, to make significant improvement
in mental strength and vocational skills
• Implemented a garden with vegetable,
fragrant and medicinal patches
• Exhibition was done for the outside people
• Rosenberg self esteem scale used for
assessment
1. Pre
Assessment
2. HT
Garden
3. HT
Activities
4. Post
Assessment
5. Data
Analysis
6. Report

8. Implementing HT Garden in the
orphanage
Succulent Wreath made by him

9. Dry flower vase
Twig Pot
Twig Toys

10. HT Impact in orphanage
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Self Esteem Current Thoughts
Pre and post Horticulture Therapy Impact
Pre
Pre
Post
Post
Mean

11. Horticulture Therapy Program with Corporate people
• Improving working efficiency and releasing
stress were the two were we mainly focused
• They participated in regular green connect
programs and HT Sessions
• Before and after assessment were done
• DASS and The workplace stress scale was
used for the assessment
1. Pre
Assessment
2. Green Connect
program
3. HT Sessions 4. HT Activities
5. Post
Assessment
6. Data analysis
and Report

12. Plant Identifying game Leaf Collection game

13. 1. Repotting
2. Leaf Identification
3. Craft making

14. HT and Green connect Impact in Corporates
Mean
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Stress Anxiety Depression Stress in
work place
Pre and Post Horticulture Therapy Changes
Post
Post
Post
Post
Pre
Pre
Pre
Pre

15. Conclusion
• Improvement in self esteem was
noted in orphanage children and
reduction in personal and work
place stress and also anxiety in
corporate participants
• HT not only gives awareness about
nature but also teaching about the
healing power of plants and how it
can lift the quality of life.